"An Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina does not want to play against somebody like Naomi Osaka" - Barbara Schett
Even top players in the world now, including Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, may not want to play against Naomi Osaka as she looks to resume action on tour, believes former WTA player Barbara Schett.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who skipped the entire 2023 season, is returning to tennis next year, six months after giving birth to her daughter Shai. The 26-year-old announced her sabbatical from tennis days before the 2023 Australian Open as she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Cordae.
Regardless, Schett is confident that Osaka can jumpstart her career once she hits the courts again. Speaking in an interview with Eurosport, Barbara Schett proclaimed that the likes of Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina would not want to face Osaka as the pressure would be on them.
“We know that she can hit the ball extremely hard, so pace is not going to be a problem at all. And one thing is for sure, an Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina, does not want to play against somebody like Naomi Osaka. The pressure will be on for them,” Schett said.
“She has won Grand Slam titles, and I think she's still young enough to havea second career. Also, her approach might be different now because she's had a baby," Schett said. “I was very excited [to see her back] because she is a global star,” she added.
Furthermore, Schett is of the opinion that a fully-fit Osaka would trouble all the top players on the tour.
“I think she still has a lot of tennis in her. I've seen a few videos of the way she was practicing; she's looking fit," Schett said.
Naomi Osaka will start 2024 season at Brisbane International
Naomi Osaka is making her comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International -- a WTA 500 event held between December 31 and January 7, which serves as a warm-up to the Australian Open. Osaka has not played a tournament on the WTA Tour since the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in 2022.
The Japanese star, who is one of only three players in the Open Era to win her first four Grand Slam finals alongside Monica Seles and Roger Federer, currently stands unranked on the WTA Tour, a far cry from her reign as World No. 1 in 2019.
Osaka will, however, take heart from the fact that she has produced some of her best tennis at the Australian Open. A two-time winner at the Melbourne Major, the 26-year-old has a 24-5 record at the tournament and has always made it past the first round.